Introduction and Planning Guide

Chapter 1. Introduction to the 2212 Access Utility

Figure 1-1. The IBM 2212 Access Utility, Models 1xx

Figure 1-2. The IBM 2212 Access Utility, Models 4xx

An affordable, scalable solution for medium-sized business environments, IBM's new 2212 Access Utility offers standards-based virtual private network (VPN) services for secure Internet transactions, voice integration features that can reduce costs associated with intracompany telephone calls and faxes, integrated Thin Server support for high-performance thin client computing, and dial-in LAN access for the remote workforce. Designed to satisfy current and emerging requirements, the IBM 2212 provides:

• A choice between two system cards. The standard system card provides 128 MB of memory, while the faster, high-performance system card supports up to 512 MB of memory.

• Comprehensive, multiprotocol routing including IP version 6 (IPv6)¹

• Advanced data transport features for SNA environments

• Expansive legacy protocol support including tunneled Binary Synchronous (BSC) support

• Wide-ranging connectivity options, including 10/100-Mbps Ethernet

• Secure virtual private network services over the IPSec protocol

• Voice features that integrate into existing data network infrastructures and can reduce the cost of intra-company telephone calls and faxes

• IP-SNA integration with load-balancing across multiple TN3270E servers

• A convenient, single-price package for IBM 2212 hardware and Access Integration Services software²

• Four WAN ports for functionality without purchasing adapters, plus five additional slots³ for Models 4xx. Models 1xx have two additional slots⁴.

• Choice of convenient integrated hard drive or compact flash models

• Power supply and cable support designed for use in organizations worldwide

While offering modularity and scalability to meet tomorrow's networking demands, the IBM 2212 fits within today's budget to provide cost-effective computing across a broad range of remote locations, branch offices, and regional sites.

The IBM 2212 is designed to provide cost-effective network consolidation. Its Virtual Private Network, Thin Server, and TN3270E features can help midsize environments leverage the Internet and intranets to build cost-effective, secure business channels. This chapter explains how to use the IBM 2212 to create secure Internet channels without purchasing expensive leased lines, centrally distribute applications to employee desktops without requiring host access for each transaction, and integrate SNA and IP into a single session to take advantage of cutting-edge Internet technology while preserving your SNA host application investments. The rest of this chapter offers some examples of how you might use the IBM 2212 in your network.

¹

Supported IPv6 features are listed in Table 3-1.

²

Adapters and most cables are priced separately.

³

Four compact peripheral component interconnect (CPCI) slot for LAN, WAN, ISDN, analog 56K modem, compression/encryption, voice/fax, and T1/J1 and E1 digital modem adapters; and one PCI mezzanine card (PMC) slot for either a Token-Ring or Ethernet LAN adapter. The 4-port WAN adapter will fit in the left PMC slot only.

⁴

One compact peripheral component interconnect (CPCI) slot for LAN, WAN, ISDN, analog 56K modem, compression/encryption, and voice/fax adapters; and one PCI mezzanine card (PMC) slot for either a Token-Ring or Ethernet LAN adapter. The 4-port WAN adapter will fit in the left PMC slot only.